New Community 🫱🏽‍🫲🏾 Legal Leadership at CCIJ

A statement from our outgoing Executive Director, Bianca Sierra Wolff

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Dear CCIJ Community,

It is with bittersweet emotions that I write to share that I will be stepping down as CCIJ’s Executive Director to pursue a new opportunity at the end of June. I am very grateful to all of you for supporting me and CCIJ during these past few years of growth and change. I am extremely proud of overseeing the transition to a 501c3 nonprofit, expansion of our staff and programs, and shift towards a power building model focused on the abolition of immigration detention and collective liberation.

I could not have done any of this work without our amazing team who have been with me every step of the way. And the biggest thank you of all is to the detained leaders who despite facing prolonged detention, abuse, and separation from loved ones have had the courage to speak out against the injustices they face and inspired us to push for the end of immigration detention. I’ve learned so many lessons from them about resilience, courage, determination, and hope.

My work at CCIJ has taught me that no matter what the political environment and national discourse may be around immigration, we must continue to push for systemic change and the ultimate abolition of a system that only serves to detain, dehumanize, and dispose of our community members. I will take all of these lessons to heart as I leave my current role. My love and passion for this organization will continue and I am committed to supporting and uplifting CCIJ albeit in a new capacity as volunteer and dear friend.

I am thrilled, however, to announce that our amazing Legal Director Lisa Knox and Community Engagement Director Edwin Carmona-Cruz will take over my position as Co-Executive Directors. Lisa and Edwin have been key allies and partners to me, particularly as we have set out to reimagine our work in a way that brings together detained leaders, organizers, and lawyers to push creative, out-of-the-box strategies in our fight to end immigration detention in California. I couldn’t ask for two better individuals to take over as leaders of CCIJ.

I hope that you will join me in supporting and celebrating Lisa and Edwin as they transition into their new roles.

Again, thank you so much for all you’ve done for me and CCIJ these past three years. Since this is not a goodbye, but rather the beginning of a new era, I know I will see you all again very soon.

Much Love,

Bianca